MIAMI (WSVN) - A good Samaritan is speaking out about the tense moments when he raced to the rescue of two City of Miami employees after their pickup truck crashed through a tree and into a boat that was docked on the Miami River.
Surveillance video captured the City of Miami Waste Management truck as it plowed through a fence, knocking down a tree, and clipped a boat parked at a dock near Northwest 18th Terrace, off 24th Avenue, at around noon on Monday.
“We were about to leave the marina, and we heard, like, an explosion,” said witness Maurico Flores.
The vehicle began to sink fast, as the two women tried desperately to escape.
“We were in shock, because it’s not a normal situation,” said Flores.
Good Samaritan Rafael Valdez immediately dove into the water and used all of his strength to break open the truck’s driver’s side window.
Cellphone video showed Valdez pulling each of the occupants out of the truck’s window as the vehicle slowly began to sink.
“For me, he is the hero of the day,” said Flores. “The two women are alive because of him.”
A picture taken shortly after the women were safely pulled out showed the truck completely submerged underwater, highlighting how little time there was to rescue them.
Police and witnesses said the victims were not injured in the crash, but the same could not be said for Valdez, who suffered a cut to his leg.
The good Samaritan spoke with 7News about his quick thinking.
“I feel good that I got there in time,” he said in Spanish.
Valdez showed 7News the bandage that covers the 18 stitches he received.
The crash caused widespread damage to both the marina and the boat that was struck.
“A car coming, jumped to my, go to my boat,” said Roberto Alarcon, the boat’s owner.
Alarcon said the driver lost control of the pickup and smashed into his docked charter boat before splashing down into the water, leaving the vessel with a gaping hole and lot to be cleaned up.
“Too much damage, everything,” he said.
Alarcon’s boat was used for fishing tours and leisure trips for Valentina Yacht Party. He said he will be filing an insurance claim for the damaged vessel soon.
Tuesday morning, 7News cameras captured a hole in the chain-link fence where the truck hit it.
It’s unclear what the women were doing at the marina and what caused them to crash, as Miami Police continue to investigate the circumstances that led up to the crash.
City of Miami officials said they’re currently reviewing all of their safety protocols to make sure something like this never happens again.
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